Bill Stephens
Encyclopedia
Bill Stephens is a network television
host and commentator specializing in automotive and motorsport
s presentations.
He is a nationally published author of several motorsports books and a columnist for a number of automotive periodicals. He is a television producer
and writer for
various automotive television programs and a speech consultant providing presentation voice training for motorsports personalities and business people
at all levels of the corporate world.
to William and Claire Stephens and raised in Somerville, MA
, several miles west of Boston
, MA. Stephens' father was a long-distance truck driver
and his mother worked in the restaurant business in the Boston area. Stephens frequently accompanied his father on various truck trips as a child which helped to fuel his interest in automobiles. According to family members, at the age of three, Stephens was able to identify every make of automobile on the road before he could even read. His parents permanently separated when he was 13 years old, and following graduation from Somerville High School
in 1967, Stephens held several jobs including driving a truck, driving a taxi, making pizza, and working in local auto body shops as a body repairman and painter.
after seeing several remote broadcasts presented by WBZ Radio
in Boston during the rock & roll
era of the 1960s. In 1972, at the age of 23, he enrolled in the Columbia School of Broadcasting, a mail-order
correspondence course
, and after completing the program, began his radio career at WRYT in Boston as a staff announcer and control board operator. Over the next 28 years, he served as an on-air personality at such stations as WDRC AM
and FM
and WCCC-FM
in Hartford, CT
, WRKO
, WVBF
-FM, WEEI
-FM, WBOS
-FM, and WMJX
-FM in Boston, KIQQ-FM
, KGIL-AM&FM, and KWST-FM
in Los Angeles
, CA, and KMJJ-FM in Las Vegas, NV
. Stephens was the last full-time air personality hired by WRKO in Boston before RKO General switched the format from Adult Contemporary to News/Talk in 1981. He was also the only music disc jockey on the airstaff to move to the new format, co-hosting WRKO's "Morning Magazine" program with Norm Nathan for two years.
In February of 1973, Stephens was instrumental in one of the most ambitious promotional stunts in Connecticut radio history when he locked himself inside the WCCC AM&FM on-air studios in Hartford and played the Top 40 song "Bitter Bad" by Melanie for 35 consecutive hours to protest the station's reluctance to offer him a full-time job. During the promotional marathon, demonstrators assembled outside the Asylum St. facility, picketing the management of WCCC to hire Stephens. He was also interviewed on the phone during his 35-hour broadcast by Don Imus on WNBC in New York and Larry Glick on WBZ in Boston.
Stephens has been the recipient of several major broadcasting awards for his radio hosting and production, including three International Radio Festival of New York Awards in 1988-1990, an Achievement in Radio Award in 1990, and National Silver Microphone Award in 1994. Stephens is the host of the nationally syndicated, award-winning "Time Capsule" radio feature, and has been heard on such nationally broadcast radio programs as Westwood One
's "Focus on Racing Radio" and ESPN
's "RPM Radio".
television in 1982 when he served as the nightly weatherman on Cape Cod Cablevision's "Cape 11 Alive News" in South Yarmouth, MA
. In 1984, he was chosen from over 300 applicants to become the morning VJ on the groundbreaking, Boston-based music television
station WVJV-TV (V-66) which was owned by former Boston-area disc-jockey
legends Arnie "Woo Woo" Ginsburg
and John H. Garabedian
. In 1989, Stephens was named writer, producer, narrator of the award-winning automotive TV series "Wild About Wheels", produced at Global Television Network
in Acton, MA and aired on The Discovery Channel. In February 1994, he was hired by Diamond P Sports as associate producer
of "NHRA Today" for The Nashville Network, necessitating a relocation to Nashville, TN
from his home in Osterville, MA on Cape Cod. Stephens moved back to Osterville in October of that year, and after taking several radio announcer
positions on Cape Cod and in Boston, he founded his own TV production
company, Ultimate Garage Productions, Inc. Stephens serves on numerous automotive and motorsports television productions as a host, commentator, automotive expert, and pit reporter and has been seen on CBS
, NBC
, ABC
, ESPN, ESPN2
, ESPN Classic
, Fox
, SPEED, The Discovery Channel, Discovery HD Theater
, The Outdoor Channel
, and HDNet
. He has covered virtually every major automobile racing
series such as NASCAR
, NHRA
, Champ Car
, and the Atlantic Championship along with many specialty automotive and motorsports events such as collector car auctions, sprint car racing
, tractor pulling
, drag boat racing, lawn mower
racing, mud bog racing, custom car
shows, automotive expos, and motorsports awards ceremonies. In 1996, he wrote, produced, and narrated the award-winning documentary series "Wheels", aired on PBS affiliates around the country.
It is believed he has been seen on more networks and has appeared on the largest variety of televised automotive and motorsports productions than any other television personality. He is a six-time winner of the national Telly Award for Television Production and has won the Imperial Palace Moto Award for Excellence in Historical Automotive Television.
"Big Daddy" Don Garlits
on his memoirs titled "Big Daddy's Tales from the Drag Strip". In 2003, he co-wrote a similar book with 3-time NHRA Top Fuel
champion Shirley Muldowney
titled "Shirley Muldowney's Tales from the Track". Also in 2003, he authored a biographical picture book
on the life of drag racer Kenny Bernstein
titled "Kenny Bernstein, The King of Speed". Stephens is a frequent writer of motorsports features and automotive content for such publications as AutoWeek
, ESPN The Magazine
, ESPN.com
, Drag Racer Magazine, and Drag Racing Action. He has also served as Senior Producer for WheelsTV
in Acton, MA, producing video features of new and pre-owned automobile evaluations and analysis for various automotive Internet sites such as Vehix.com, J.D. Power & Associates
, and eBay Motors
.
, ADP Payroll Systems
, Unifirst Corporation, and Epsilon. In 2007, Stephens expanded his program to include professional and aspiring motorsports personalities to provide effective media training and personal presentation skills.
, 1998 Jaguar XK
8 convertible, 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee
5.9, 1994 Mitsubishi 3000GT
and 12 Chevrolet Corvettes in model years ranging from 1960 to 1980. He is also an accomplished jazz percussionist and briefly enrolled in private instructions at the Berklee School of Music in Boston in 1969.
Television network
A television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
host and commentator specializing in automotive and motorsport
Motorsport
Motorsport or motorsports is the group of sports which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles, whether for racing or non-racing competition...
s presentations.
He is a nationally published author of several motorsports books and a columnist for a number of automotive periodicals. He is a television producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
and writer for
various automotive television programs and a speech consultant providing presentation voice training for motorsports personalities and business people
Businessperson
A businessperson is someone involved in a particular undertaking of activities for the purpose of generating revenue from a combination of human, financial, or physical capital. An entrepreneur is an example of a business person...
at all levels of the corporate world.
Early life
William Weyman Stephens Jr., the youngest of three children and the only boy, was born in Brookline, MABrookline, Massachusetts
Brookline is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, which borders on the cities of Boston and Newton. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town was 58,732.-Etymology:...
to William and Claire Stephens and raised in Somerville, MA
Somerville, Massachusetts
Somerville is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, located just north of Boston. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 75,754 and was the most densely populated municipality in New England. It is also the 17th most densely populated incorporated place in...
, several miles west of Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, MA. Stephens' father was a long-distance truck driver
Truck driver
A truck driver , is a person who earns a living as the driver of a truck, usually a semi truck, box truck, or dump truck.Truck drivers provide an essential service to...
and his mother worked in the restaurant business in the Boston area. Stephens frequently accompanied his father on various truck trips as a child which helped to fuel his interest in automobiles. According to family members, at the age of three, Stephens was able to identify every make of automobile on the road before he could even read. His parents permanently separated when he was 13 years old, and following graduation from Somerville High School
Somerville High School (Massachusetts)
Somerville High School is a public, 4-year high school in Somerville, Massachusetts. The school offers a wide selection of classes and vocational programs....
in 1967, Stephens held several jobs including driving a truck, driving a taxi, making pizza, and working in local auto body shops as a body repairman and painter.
Radio
As a teenager, Stephens developed a fascination with radio broadcastingBroadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
after seeing several remote broadcasts presented by WBZ Radio
WBZ-FM
WBZ-FM is a sports radio station known as "98.5 The Sports Hub" and broadcasting on 98.5 MHz in Boston, Massachusetts. Owned by CBS Radio, the current WBZ-FM began on August 13, 2009 and competes with AM sports talk stations WEEI and competed with the ESPN Radio pair of WAMG and WLLH before their...
in Boston during the rock & roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
era of the 1960s. In 1972, at the age of 23, he enrolled in the Columbia School of Broadcasting, a mail-order
Mail order
Mail order is a term which describes the buying of goods or services by mail delivery. The buyer places an order for the desired products with the merchant through some remote method such as through a telephone call or web site. Then, the products are delivered to the customer...
correspondence course
Distance education
Distance education or distance learning is a field of education that focuses on teaching methods and technology with the aim of delivering teaching, often on an individual basis, to students who are not physically present in a traditional educational setting such as a classroom...
, and after completing the program, began his radio career at WRYT in Boston as a staff announcer and control board operator. Over the next 28 years, he served as an on-air personality at such stations as WDRC AM
WDRC (AM)
WDRC is a radio station owned by Buckley Broadcasting Corporation. It operates full time with 5,000 Watts of power with studios and transmitters located in Bloomfield, Connecticut....
and FM
WDRC-FM
WDRC-FM, known as 102.9 DRC FM, is a radio station based in Bloomfield, Connecticut, which primarily serves the Hartford market. DRC-FM broadcasts an oldies format, at a frequency of 102.9 MHz...
and WCCC-FM
WCCC-FM
WCCC-FM branded as "The Rock 106.9" is a radio station serving central Connecticut that plays hard rock and occasionally classic rock. WCCC markets itself as the only non-corporate operation in Connecticut, with no pre-recorded DJs The station regularly invites listeners to make requests and also...
in Hartford, CT
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
, WRKO
WRKO
WRKO is a radio station based in Boston, Massachusetts, currently owned by Entercom. Its transmitter is located in Burlington, Massachusetts, next to the Burlington Mall.-1920-1940:...
, WVBF
WVBF
WVBF is a radio station broadcasting a news/talk format. Licensed to Middleborough Center, Massachusetts, USA, the station serves the New Bedford-Fall River area. The station is currently owned by Steven J. Callahan.-History:...
-FM, WEEI
WEEI
WEEI is a sports radio station in Boston, Massachusetts, that broadcasts on 850 kHz from a transmitter in Needham, Massachusetts, and is owned by Entercom Communications. The station is one of the top-rated sports talk radio stations in the nation. Studios are located in Brighton, Massachusetts...
-FM, WBOS
WBOS
WBOS is a commercial radio station located in Brookline, Massachusetts, broadcasting to the Greater Boston area on 92.9 FM. The station airs a mainstream rock format branded as "Radio 92.9"...
-FM, and WMJX
WMJX
WMJX is a radio station licensed to Boston, Massachusetts. It has an Adult Contemporary format. The station's transmitter is located atop the Prudential Tower in Downtown Boston...
-FM in Boston, KIQQ-FM
KIQQ-FM
KIQQ-FM is a radio station broadcasting a Regional Mexican format. Licensed to Newberry Springs, California, USA, it serves the Barstow area...
, KGIL-AM&FM, and KWST-FM
KPWR
KPWR is a commercial radio station located in Los Angeles, California, broadcasting to the Greater Los Angeles area on an analog signal and in HD Radio...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, CA, and KMJJ-FM in Las Vegas, NV
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. Stephens was the last full-time air personality hired by WRKO in Boston before RKO General switched the format from Adult Contemporary to News/Talk in 1981. He was also the only music disc jockey on the airstaff to move to the new format, co-hosting WRKO's "Morning Magazine" program with Norm Nathan for two years.
In February of 1973, Stephens was instrumental in one of the most ambitious promotional stunts in Connecticut radio history when he locked himself inside the WCCC AM&FM on-air studios in Hartford and played the Top 40 song "Bitter Bad" by Melanie for 35 consecutive hours to protest the station's reluctance to offer him a full-time job. During the promotional marathon, demonstrators assembled outside the Asylum St. facility, picketing the management of WCCC to hire Stephens. He was also interviewed on the phone during his 35-hour broadcast by Don Imus on WNBC in New York and Larry Glick on WBZ in Boston.
Stephens has been the recipient of several major broadcasting awards for his radio hosting and production, including three International Radio Festival of New York Awards in 1988-1990, an Achievement in Radio Award in 1990, and National Silver Microphone Award in 1994. Stephens is the host of the nationally syndicated, award-winning "Time Capsule" radio feature, and has been heard on such nationally broadcast radio programs as Westwood One
Westwood One
Westwood One was an American radio network and was based in New York City. At one time, it was managed by CBS Radio, the radio arm of CBS Corporation, and Viacom and was later purchased by the private equity firm The Gores Group...
's "Focus on Racing Radio" and ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's "RPM Radio".
Television
Stephens' first appearance on television was on local cable newsUnited States cable news
Cable news refers to television channels devoted to television news broadcasts, with the name deriving from the proliferation of such networks during the 1980s with the advent of cable television. In the United States, early networks included CNN in 1980, Financial News Network in 1981, and CNN2 ...
television in 1982 when he served as the nightly weatherman on Cape Cod Cablevision's "Cape 11 Alive News" in South Yarmouth, MA
South Yarmouth, Massachusetts
South Yarmouth is an unincorporated village and census-designated place in the town of Yarmouth in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 11,603 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
. In 1984, he was chosen from over 300 applicants to become the morning VJ on the groundbreaking, Boston-based music television
Music television
Music television is a type of television programming which focuses predominantly on playing music videos from bands, usually on dedicated television channels broadcasting on satellite or cable. Music TVs may host their own shows charts, award prizes. Examples are VIVA, Scuzz, MTV, JBTV, MuchMusic,...
station WVJV-TV (V-66) which was owned by former Boston-area disc-jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
legends Arnie "Woo Woo" Ginsburg
Arnie Ginsburg
Arnie Ginsburg was a well-known American disc jockey in the Boston radio market from the mid-1950s to the 1970s. Following this period, he became involved in the business side of radio as a business manager, president and owner of WVJV-TV , and later as an executive with Pyramid Broadcasting and...
and John H. Garabedian
John Garabedian
John H. Garabedian is an American radio personality and disc jockey, known as the host of Open House Party. He has been involved in Massachusetts radio and television stations for around fifty years. John lives in Southborough, Massachusetts....
. In 1989, Stephens was named writer, producer, narrator of the award-winning automotive TV series "Wild About Wheels", produced at Global Television Network
Global Television Network
Global Television Network is an English language privately owned television network in Canada, owned by Calgary-based Shaw Communications, as part of its Shaw Media division...
in Acton, MA and aired on The Discovery Channel. In February 1994, he was hired by Diamond P Sports as associate producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
of "NHRA Today" for The Nashville Network, necessitating a relocation to Nashville, TN
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
from his home in Osterville, MA on Cape Cod. Stephens moved back to Osterville in October of that year, and after taking several radio announcer
Announcer
An announcer is a presenter who makes "announcements" in an audio medium or a physical location.-Television and other media:Some announcers work in television production , radio or filmmaking, usually providing narrations, news updates, station identification, or an introduction of a product in...
positions on Cape Cod and in Boston, he founded his own TV production
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
company, Ultimate Garage Productions, Inc. Stephens serves on numerous automotive and motorsports television productions as a host, commentator, automotive expert, and pit reporter and has been seen on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, ESPN, ESPN2
ESPN2
ESPN2 is an American sports cable television network owned by ESPN. The channel debuted on October 1, 1993.Originally nicknamed "the deuce," ESPN2 was initially branded as a network for a younger generation of sports fans featuring edgier graphics as well as extreme sports like motocross,...
, ESPN Classic
ESPN Classic
ESPN Classic is a sports channel that features reruns of famous sporting events, sports documentaries, and sports themed movies. Such programs includes biographies of famous sports figures or a rerun of a famous World Series or Super Bowl, often with added commentary on the event...
, Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
, SPEED, The Discovery Channel, Discovery HD Theater
Discovery HD Theater
Velocity is an American high-definition, commercial-based, cable- and satellite-television channel owned by Discovery Communications...
, The Outdoor Channel
The Outdoor Channel
Outdoor Channel is an American speciality channel focused on the outdoors, offering programming that includes hunting, fishing, Western lifestyle, off-road motorsports and adventure. The network can be viewed on multiple platforms including high definition, video-on-demand, as well as on a . ...
, and HDNet
HDNet
HDNet is a men's interest television channel in the United States, broadcasting exclusively in high-definition format and available via cable and satellite television...
. He has covered virtually every major automobile racing
Auto racing
Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...
series such as NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
, NHRA
National Hot Rod Association
The National Hot Rod Association is a drag racing governing body, which sets rules in drag racing and host events all over the United States and Canada...
, Champ Car
Champ Car
Champ Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race...
, and the Atlantic Championship along with many specialty automotive and motorsports events such as collector car auctions, sprint car racing
Sprint car racing
Sprint cars are high-powered race cars designed primarily for the purpose of running on short oval or circular dirt or paved tracks. Sprint car racing is popular in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa....
, tractor pulling
Tractor pulling
Truck and Tractor pulling, also known as power pulling, is a motorsport competition, popular in America, Europe , Australia and Brazil, which requires modified tractors to pull a heavy sledge along a 35ft. wide and length of 100 metre or 300ft+ track, with the winner being the tractor that pulls...
, drag boat racing, lawn mower
Lawn mower
A lawn mower is a machine that uses a revolving blade or blades to cut a lawn at an even length.Lawn mowers employing a blade that rotates about a vertical axis are known as rotary mowers, while those employing a blade assembly that rotates about a horizontal axis are known as cylinder or reel...
racing, mud bog racing, custom car
Custom car
A custom car is a passenger vehicle that has been modified in either of the following two ways. First, a custom car may be altered to improve its performance, often by altering or replacing the engine and transmission. Second, a custom car may be a personal "styling" statement, making the car look...
shows, automotive expos, and motorsports awards ceremonies. In 1996, he wrote, produced, and narrated the award-winning documentary series "Wheels", aired on PBS affiliates around the country.
It is believed he has been seen on more networks and has appeared on the largest variety of televised automotive and motorsports productions than any other television personality. He is a six-time winner of the national Telly Award for Television Production and has won the Imperial Palace Moto Award for Excellence in Historical Automotive Television.
Publishing
Stephens has written three books for Sports Publishing, LLC of Champaign, IL. In 2002, he collaborated with legendary drag racerDrag racing
Drag racing is a competition in which specially prepared automobiles or motorcycles compete two at a time to be the first to cross a set finish line, from a standing start, in a straight line, over a measured distance, most commonly a ¼-mile straight track....
"Big Daddy" Don Garlits
Don Garlits
Donald Glenn "Don" Garlits is considered the father of drag racing. He is known as "Big Daddy" to drag racing fans around the world. Always a pioneer in the field of drag-racing, he, with the help of T.C...
on his memoirs titled "Big Daddy's Tales from the Drag Strip". In 2003, he co-wrote a similar book with 3-time NHRA Top Fuel
Top Fuel
Top Fuel racing is a class of drag racing in which the cars are run on a mix of approximately 90% nitromethane and 10% methanol rather than gasoline or simply methanol. The cars are purpose-built for drag racing, with an exaggerated layout that in some ways resembles open-wheel circuit racing...
champion Shirley Muldowney
Shirley Muldowney
Shirley Muldowney , also known professionally as "Cha Cha" Muldowney and the "First Lady of Drag Racing", is a pioneer in professional auto racing. She was the first woman to receive a license from the National Hot Rod Association to drive a top fuel dragster...
titled "Shirley Muldowney's Tales from the Track". Also in 2003, he authored a biographical picture book
Picture book
A picture book combines visual and verbal narratives in a book format, most often aimed at young children. The images in picture books use a range of media such as oil paints, acrylics, watercolor and pencil.Two of the earliest books with something like the format picture books still retain now...
on the life of drag racer Kenny Bernstein
Kenny Bernstein
Kenny Bernstein is an American drag racer and former NASCAR and IndyCar team owner. He is nicknamed the "Bud King" for his success in the Budweiser King dragster, he has also been nicknamed "The King of Speed," because he was the first driver to break 300 miles per hour in the standing-start...
titled "Kenny Bernstein, The King of Speed". Stephens is a frequent writer of motorsports features and automotive content for such publications as AutoWeek
AutoWeek
AutoWeek is a fortnightly automotive enthusiast publication based in Detroit, Michigan. One of 32 titles published by Crain Communications Inc, its parent company, AutoWeek is unique as the only consumer title among its sister publications....
, ESPN The Magazine
ESPN The Magazine
ESPN The Magazine is a bi-weekly sports magazine published by the ESPN sports network in Bristol, Connecticut in the United States. The first issue was published on March 11, 1998....
, ESPN.com
ESPN.com
ESPN.com is the official website of ESPN and a division of ESPN Inc. Since launching in 1995 as ESPNet.SportsZone.com, the website has developed numerous sections including: Page 2, SportsNation, ESPN 3.com, ESPN Motion, My ESPN, ESPN Sports Travel, ESPN Video Games, ESPN Insider, ESPN.com's...
, Drag Racer Magazine, and Drag Racing Action. He has also served as Senior Producer for WheelsTV
WheelsTV
WheelsTV is a video production company, specializing in automotive media. Based in Acton, Massachusetts, WheelsTV creates and distributes original content for internet sites, mobile, IPTV platforms, and Video On Demand. Patent-pending products including Top200 Test Drives, 1:00 on ONE Vehicle...
in Acton, MA, producing video features of new and pre-owned automobile evaluations and analysis for various automotive Internet sites such as Vehix.com, J.D. Power & Associates
J.D. Power and Associates
J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information services firm founded in 1968 by James David Power III. The firm conducts surveys of customer satisfaction, product quality, and buyer behavior for industries ranging from cars to marketing and advertising firms. The firm is best known for...
, and eBay Motors
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
.
Speech Consultant
In 1986, Stephens created an innovative program which teaches people at all levels of the business world more effective speaking skills. The program, Vocal Point, has been used by such companies as Sears, CitibankCitibank
Citibank, a major international bank, is the consumer banking arm of financial services giant Citigroup. Citibank was founded in 1812 as the City Bank of New York, later First National City Bank of New York...
, ADP Payroll Systems
Automatic Data Processing
Automatic Data Processing, Inc. Automatic Data Processing, Inc. with about $10 billion in revenues and approximately 545,000 clients, is a provider of business outsourcing solutions. ADP offers a range of human resource, payroll, tax and benefits administration solutions...
, Unifirst Corporation, and Epsilon. In 2007, Stephens expanded his program to include professional and aspiring motorsports personalities to provide effective media training and personal presentation skills.
Personal life
Stephens has been married twice. His first marriage was to Joyce Anne Carberry in Boston, MA in February 1973, soon divorcing in the fall of 1974. He remarried in 1987 to Deborah Susan Donnell in Yarmouthport, MA, resulting in two sons, Will (Born April 9, 1990) and Sean (Born September 21, 1995) and divorced in May of 2010. He is an avid car collector and has owned numerous collector-grade vehicles including a 1965 Shelby American Continuation Series 427SC Cobra, a 1965 ERA 427 Cobra Replica, a 1993 GMC TyphoonGMC Typhoon
The GMC Typhoon is a high-performance version of the GMC Jimmy SUV. Produced in 1992 and 1993, the Typhoon was based on the 1991 GMC Jimmy SUV....
, 1998 Jaguar XK
Jaguar XK
The Jaguar XK series is a series of grand tourer cars produced by British car maker Jaguar since 1996. The series was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show on 5 March 1996. The first generation of the series, the XK8, replaced the XJS, and was available as a coupé and convertible...
8 convertible, 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Jeep Grand Cherokee
The Jeep Grand Cherokee is a Mid-size SUV produced by the Jeep division of Chrysler. While some other SUVs were manufactured with body on frame construction, the Jeep Grand Cherokee has always used a unibody chassis.- Development :...
5.9, 1994 Mitsubishi 3000GT
Mitsubishi GTO
The Mitsubishi GTO is a sports car built by Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motors between 1990 and 2001. In most export markets it was rebadged as a Mitsubishi 3000GT. It was also sold by Chrysler in North America as a Dodge Stealth captive import from the 1991 to 1996 model years with only minor...
and 12 Chevrolet Corvettes in model years ranging from 1960 to 1980. He is also an accomplished jazz percussionist and briefly enrolled in private instructions at the Berklee School of Music in Boston in 1969.
External links
- www.ult-garage.com
- www.vpointmedia.com
- www.vocalpointseminars.com
- http://search.espn.go.com/bill-stephens/